Sway bar bushing applying machine



Nov. 10, 1953 G. L. REDDING 2,658,269

SWAY BAR BUSHING APPLYING MACHINE Fild Feb. 21, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E-E- Georgge J. 260 i:

All/ 8 NOV. 10, 1953 I REDmNG 2,658,269

SWAY BAR BUSHING APPLYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21. 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I INVENTOR.

Gear 'ye 1 Real?? 4 7' ORA/5'72 Nov. 10, 1953 G. L REDDENG SWAY BAR BUSHING APPLYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 21, 1948.

I INVENTOR. Gewye ,6. Xe 4 8': 1

Patented Nov. 10, 1953 SWAY BAR BUSHING APPLYING -MACHINE George L. Redding, Monroe, Mich., a'ssignor to Monroe Auto Equipment Company, Monroe, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 21, 1948, Serial No. 10,142

Claims.

This invention relates generally to a device for applying a hollow element on the intermediate portion of a member having an angularly extending end portion, and more particularly to a machine for applying rubber bushings to the intermediate portion of a generally U-shaped vehicle sway bar.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide a machine of the aforementioned type which will simultaneously apply [bushings to both ends of a sway bar; to provide a machine of the aforementioned type in which the bushings will be initially guided onto the sway bar end arms and thereafter the sway bar end arms and intermediate portion will themselves guide the bushings to their predetermined proper location on the sway bar; to provide a machine of the aforementioned type which is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, simple to operate and, which will apply bushings to a sway bar or the like in a relatively efiicient, speedy, and positive manner.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of the machine of this invention in a position preparatory to applying bushings to a sway bar supported thereby;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the position of the component parts of the machine when the bushings are being applied on the sway bar;

Fig. 3 is a partial top plan view of the machine illustrating the mechanism for applying a bushing to one end of a sway bar;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3 taken along the line 4-4 thereof;

Fig. 5 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 3 taken along the line -55 thereof; and

Fig.- 6 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5 taken along the line 56 thereof.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it Will be seen that the machine of this invention includes a suitable base ll upon which is mounted, adjacent the center thereof, a pair of longitudinally spaced locating blocks or stops l3 against which the machine operator positions the intermediate portion [5 of a sway bar IT, to which bushings are to be applied. The sway bar I! is shown as having a pair of end arms 19 extending angularly from the opposite ends of the intermediate portion l5 thereof. When the intermediate portion [5 of the sway bar I1 is placed against the locating blocks IS, the sway bar end arms I 9 are positioned between shoulders 2| formed on longitudinally opposed positioning stop members 23,

so as to locate the sway bar in a predetermined location with respect to the base I l, and the component parts of the machine, as will be hereinafter described.

The machine operator clamps the sway bar I! in the aforementioned position by operating a foot valve 25, which is connected with a pair of air operated piston and cylinder units 21. Clamping blocks or plates 29 are connected with the pistons of the piston and cylinder units 21 through suitable rods 31 so that when the foot valve 25 is operated, the clamping blocks 29 will be moved into engagement with the opposite side of the sway .bar intermediate portion 15 from the permanent blocks l3, thereby clamping the sway bar in place.

After the sway bar ll is clamped in position, a hand operated valve 35, which is connected with opposed air operated piston and cylinder units 37, is actuated so as to cause the pistons thereof to move and thereby feed bushings 38, shown in dot and dash lines in Figs. 1 and 2, onto the sway bar, in a manner which will now be described.

The-mechanism for applying the bushings to each of the sway bar end arms 19 is identical in construction and therefore only the mechanism for applying a bushing to one end arm 0f the sway bar will be described in detail, it being understood that the mechanism on the opposite side of the machine is identical therewith and the same part numbers apply throughout.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the rear end of the cylinder 31 is pivotally connected, for movement about a vertical axis, to a bracket 39, which in turn is rigidly connected to the machine .base I l. The cylinder 3'! is provided intermediate the ends thereof with a pair of opposed laterally extending flat arms 4| which slidably engage the upper surface of the machine base II. The outer extremities of the arms 4| are received in openings 43 in brackets 45 so that the pivotal movement of the cylinder is limited with respect to the machine base II. A piston rod 43 is connected to the piston within the cylinder 3'! and projects forwardly therefrom. The forward end of the piston rod 43 is pivotally connected at 49 to a slide member for movement about a horizontal axis. The slide member 41 is provided with a transversely extending bottom plate 5|, adjacent the rear end thereof, which slidably engages the upper surface of the machine base ll so as to support the rear portion of slide member 4'! on the machine base.

A cup-shaped bushing retainer member is pivotally connected to the front end of the slide member 41 by means of a vertical pivot shaft 51 so as to be free to rotate about the axis of the vertical shaft 51. A bottom plate 53 is connected to the lower end of the shaft 51 and slidably engages the upper surface of the machine ibase ll so as to support the front end of the slide member 41. A pair of opposed spaced cam plates 59 are rigidly connected to the machine base ll adjacent the outer end of the sway bar end arm l9, when the latter is mounted in the machine, and the opposed inner cam faces 6| of the cam plates 59 are shaped so as to receive therebetween the front slide plate 53 of the slide member 41. Therefore, when the piston within the cylinder 31 is actuated through the use of the hand lever 35 so as to move the piston rod 43 and therefore the slide member 41 toward the end arm IQ of the sway bar H, the cam plates 59 will guide the bushing retainer member 55 and the bushing 38, therein, onto the end arm IQ of the sway bar.

The bushing retainer member 55, as can be seen in Fig. 6, has the front end thereof open so that a bushing 38 can be easily inserted therein, and has its rear wall provided with a laterally elongated aperture 55, through which the end arm IQ of the sway bar may project when the bushing retainer member is moved into engagement with and along the sway bar end arm :9. Therefore, as the bushing retainer member 55 and the slide member 4! are moved toward the sway bar by the piston and cylinder unit 3!, the cam plates 59 will properly center the bushing 38, mounted in the cup-shaped retainer member 55, so as to cause the end of the sway bar arm to pas-s through the aperture in the center of the bushing 38. Thereafter, as the bushing retainer member 55 and bushing 39 are fed along the sway bar end arm, the slide plates 53, which is connected to the bushing retainer member 55, is moved out of engagement with the cam plates 59 thus freeing the bushing retainer member for pivotal movement with respect to the slide member 47. Thus the bushing retainer member 55 pivot with respect to the slide member 47 and follow the shape of the sway bar end and therefore be guided along the end arm by the shape of the end arm itself.

As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, a switch 51 is mounted on the machine base ll adjacent the slide member 41, and is suitably connected with an electric solenoid 55. The solenoid 69 is connee-ted to, as can be seen in Fig. 2, opposed air operated piston and cylinder units H. The cylinders H are pivotally connected at the rear ends thereof to the machine base, at 12. The piston within each of the piston and cylinder units II has its forward end connected to each of the sway bar end arm positioning stops 2%! by a suitable connector member 15. The connector member 15 is guided for movement toward and away from the sway bar by means of suitable guide brackets '13. When each of the slide members 41 moves toward the sway bar end arm, a pin 8| on one of the piston rods 43 contacts the switch 61 so as to actuate the solenoid 69. The solenoid 68 then actuates the piston and cylinder units 1 I, in a conventional manner, so as to retract the sway bar end arm positioning stops 23 out of engagement with the sway bar end arms l9.

Thus the bushings and bushing retainer members 55 can travel unimpaired along the sway bar end arms I9 and will be moved onto and along the sway bar intermediate portion l until the bushings abut the stops or blocks i3 and 29 which hold the sway bar intermediate portion in its predetermined position on the machine base II. The hand operated valve 35 can then be reversed so as to retract the bushing retainer members 55. Due to the friction between the sway bar and the bushings 38, the bushings will stay in place while the bushing retainer members move back along the sway bar end arms and return to their original position. As the slide members 41 are retracted, the pin 8| on piston rod 43 will contact the switch 61 and actuate the solenoid 69 so as to cause the piston and cylinder units II to move the end arm positioning stops 23 back into their original position, wherein the shoulders 2| thereof again engage the sway bar end arms I9. After the slide members and bushing retainer members 55 have been returned to their initial position, the hand valve 35 is closed, thus completing the cycle in which the bushings have been applied to and properly located on the intermediate portion of the sway bar. The foot valve 25 may then be released so as to move the clamping blocks 29 out of engagement with the intermediate portion of the sway bar, and the sway bar can be lifted from the machine with the bushings properly applied thereto. The next sway bar can then be positioned in the machine and the above steps of operation repeated.

It will thus be seen that it is a simple matter for the machine operator to insert one of the bushings 38 in each of the bushing retainer members 55 and close the various valves so that the machine parts will be operated in order to position the bushings in the proper location on the sway bar. It likewise will be appreciated that the cam plates 59 only initially guide the bushing retainer members on the end arms and as soon as the slide plates 53, on the lower ends thereof, move out of engagement with the cam plates 59, the end arms and intermediate portion of the sway bar then guide the pivotally mounted bushing retainer members and bushings to their proper location. Thus the machine is relatively simple and rugged in construction and is especially easy to operate so that the bushings may be quickly and efficiently applied, in their proper location, on the sway bars. This machine thus materially lessens the cost of f abricating and assembling sway bars and enables the fabrication to be accomplished in a better manner than has heretofore been known in the ar I claim:

1. A device for applying a hollow element on the intermediate portion of a rod having an angulariy extending end arm, including a base, means supported on said base for releasably supporting said rod in a predetermined position on said base, a hollow member for supporting said hollow element during its movement toward and along said rod, said hollow member being open at the front thereof and having a back wall with a laterally elongated opening therein through which the end of said rod is adapted to project when said element is moved onto said rod, a member slidably supported on said base, means pivotally connecting said hollow member to said slidable member adjacent the forward end thereof for free lateral pivotal movement with respect to said base, a fluid operated piston and cylinder, means freely pivotally connecting said cylinder adjacent its rear end to said base for pivotal movement laterally with respect to said base, means freely pivotally connecting said piston to said slidable member adjacent the rear end of the latter for pivotal movement about a hori zontal axis, means supported on said base adjacent said element supporting member and between said piston and cylinder and said rod for only initially guiding said element and element supporting member onto the end arm of said rod during the movement thereof, whereafter said rod will guide said element and element support ing member along its end arm and intermediate portions disposed on said intermediate portion in a predetermined location.

2. A device for applying a hollow element on the intermediate portion of a rod having an angularly extending end arm, including a base, means supported on said base for releasably supporting the rod in a predetermined position on said base, means supported on said base for supporting the hollow element during its movement toward and along said rod, means supported on said base for moving said element supporting means toward and away from said rod, said moving means being pivotally connected to said base and pivotally connected to said element supporting means to permit said element supporting means and said moving means to pivotally move relative to each other and to said base and thereby permit said element supporting means to move freely along said rod, and cam means supported by said base between said rod supporting means and said moving means in position to engage said element supporting means during an initial portion of the movement thereof toward the rod, said cam means being of a relatively short extent and engageable with said element supporting means for only initially guiding said element and element supporting means onto the end arm of said rod during the movement of the latter, and thereafter releasing said element supporting means so that said rod may guide said element and element supporting means along its end arm. and intermediate portions until the element is disposed on said rod intermediate portion in a predetermined location.

3. A device for applying a hollow element on the intermediate portion of a rod having an angularly extending end arm including a base, means on said base for releasably clamping the intermediate portion of said rod in a predetermined location with respect to said base, means supported on said base for engaging and supporting said rod end arm in a predetermined location with respect to said base, means supported on said base for supporting the hollow element during its movement toward and along said rod, means supported on said base for moving said element supporting means toward and away from said rod, said moving means being pivotally connected to said base and pivotally connected to said element supporting means to permit said element supporting means and said moving means to pivotally move relative to each other and to said base, so as to thereby permit said element supporting means to move freely along said rod, guide means of a relatively short extent supported on said base adjacent said element supporting means and between said rod clamping means and said moving means for only initially guiding said element and element supporting means onto the end arm of said rod, and means supported on said base for withdrawing said rod end arm engaging and supporting means from engagement with said end arm after said element has engaged said end arm, whereafter said rod will guide said element and element supporting means along the rod end arm and intermediate portion until the element is disposed on said rod intermediate portion in a predetermined location.

4. A device for applying a hollow element on the intermediate portion of a rod having an angularly extending arm, including a base, means on said base for releasably supporting said rod in a predetermined position on said base, said means forming a stop on the intermediate portion of the rod against which the element is adapted to be positioned so as to be located in a predetermined location on the rod intermediate portion, means supported on said base for supporting the hollow element during its movement toward and along said rod, means on said base for moving said element supporting means toward and away from said rod, a member interconnecting said element supporting means and said mov-' ing means, means pivotally connecting one end of said member to said element supporting means permitting said element supporting means to pivot about a predetermined axis, means pivotally connecting the opposite end of said member to said moving means permitting relative pivotal movement between said member and moving means about an axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of said first pivot means, means pivotally connecting said moving means to said base to permit said moving means to pivot on said base during movement of the element supporting means along said rod, and guide means of a relatively short extent supported on said base adjacent said element supporting means between said rod releasable supporting means and said moving means for only initially guiding said element and element supporting means onto the end of said rod during movement of the latter and thereafter releasing said element supporting means so that said member may guide said element and element supporting means along its end arm and intermediate portions until the element abuts said releasable supporting means in its predetermined location on said rod.

5. A device for applying a hollow element on the intermediate portion of a rod having an angularly extending end arm, including a base, means supported on said base for releasably supporting said rod in a predetermined location with respect to said base, means supported on said base for supporting said hollow element during its movement toward and along said rod, fluid operated piston and cylinder means being pivotally connected to said base for moving said element supporting means toward and away from said rod, said piston and cylinder means being pivotally connected to said element supporting means to permit said element supporting means and said piston and cylinder means to pivotally move relative to each other and to said base so as to permit said element supporting means to move freely along said rod, cooperating means on said piston and cylinder means and on said base engageable for maintaining the pivotal movement of said piston and cylinder means within predetermined limits, and a cam element supported on said base between said rod supporting means and said piston and cylinder means for only initially guiding the element and element supporting means onto the end arm of said rod during the movement thereof, whereafter said rod will guide said element and element supporting means on its end arm and intermediate portion until the element is disposed on said rod intermediate portion in a predetermined location.

GEORGE L. REDDING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 577,015 Eshman Feb. 16, 1897 807,738 Fullerton et al. Dec. 19, 1905 1,655,640 Altfather et al Jan. 10, 1928 2,495,333 Kraeft et a1 Jan. 24, 1950 

